Word Processing : Mail Merging

Mail merging is a technique used mainly by companies and clubs to send personalised letters to customers or members. Using a standard (or form) letter and a database of names and addresses personalised letters addressed to the people in the database can be easily produced. The names and addresses of the people are automatically put onto the letters :

There are four main steps that must be followed to create mail merged letters. They are :

• Create The Database : If the database containing the names and addresses of the people to send the letter to does not already exist then it must be created.
• Link The Letter And Database : The database and letter must now be linked together so that the mail merge function knows which file contains the names and addresses to fill into the letters
• Write The Letter : The letter to send should be created in the word processor. Special codes must be placed in the letter where the names and addresses of the customers should appear.
• Perform The Mail Merge : When the mail merge is performed one letter will be produced for each person in the database. The names and addresses will be filled in on each letter.

Companies believe that personalising letters in this way will increase the probability that customers will respond to advertisements. The customer is fooled into believing that the company has sent an advert specifically to him. In fact many thousands of people could receive the same letter.

Selective Mail Merges

Mail merged letters can be sent to every person whose name is recorded in a database. Alternatively a query can be used to select only some of the people in a database to send the letter to. For example :

• A company that is trying to market conservatories would not want to waste money sending letters to people who live in flats which have no garden. A query could be used to select only the people who live in houses from a database of names so that money is not wasted sending advertisements to people who could not possibly want a conservatory.
• A club could use a query to select the names of people who need to renew their membership from a database of members. Mail merged reminder letters could then be sent to these people.

When letters are sent to only some of the people in a database this is a selective mail merge. Selective mail merges are much more useful than simple mail merges which produce letters for everyone in a database. If you intend to use a database to carry out a selective mail merge then you must register the database with the Data Protection Commissioner to comply with the Data Protection Act.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004